Reviews (page 4 of 8)
This was fine, but I’m not sure I needed to hear it before I died. Most remarkable thing I could find about it was that it sold more copies than anticipated. Selling a lot of copies seems to be the most important thing to get on this list…
Don't know what to expect here. Cracking - 5/10. Not bad. A little bit of coffeehouse poetry vibe, that I find slightly unpleasant, but the music is decent. When she sings, it's not bad. Freeze Tag - 6/10. Simple instrumentation, basic chord structure, no-frills music. I like this better than Cracking. Marlene On The Wall - 7/10. Again, simple, no-frills music. I like it. Small Blue Thing - 6/10. Nice and simple. Straight Lines - 8/10. Nothing left to take away. Undertow - 6/10. Simple and clean. Some Journey - 6/10. Clean and simple. The Queen And The Soldier - 8/10. Very well done. Knight Moves - 6/10. Clean and simple. Neighborhood Girl - 6/10. More complex and layered than the other tracks on the album. Good, but not exactly what I was expecting from the rest of the album. Overall Rating - 3.20/5 (6.40/10). A solid album. Not sure I'd listen to it again, but I don't regret listening to it.
H: I was excited about this one as I knew some Suzanne Vega songs going into this album. To me this was a little bit of a let down. The songs seemed more spoken word than singing. Overall a little underwhelming. 5/10 H: Straight Lines Z: pretty voice, but very matter of fact lyricism and delivery. Bit of a lull at times but enjoyable to listen to. It’s easy to feel the importance of her songwriting though! 5.5/10 Z fav song: Marlene on the Wall
Dude I loved it. Beautiful voice. Suzanne Vega. Add her to the list. Not all of it but she’s like the American Kate Bush, little gentler.
plucky, quaint, good variety in song structure and well produced. The spoken word singing is a little basic. An album ahead of it's time.
I really enjoyed this one and look forward to listening to it again!
I expected another nice but boring. This was not. I liked a fair bit, but it didn't quite stick as much as I thought it might. I think with more chance this would be a 4. Some nice folky motifs and a subtle hit of 80s in some of the instrumentation. But a high 3.
Really nice. None of the vega tracks I know, but a similar feeling and sound. I'm not a huge fan of the 80s chorused guitar, but it sits nicely with her voice. Interesting lyrics and nice guitar playing. Usually an interesting tune and she has a great voice. I'll have to listen again.
A bit of a mix bag, thought some songs were a little weak but others showed her potential, overall an easy listen.
kinda boring 2.5
Che bien suzanne
++*: Neighborhood Girls ++: Freeze Tag, Marlene on the Wall, Some Journey +: Cracking, Straight Lines +-: Small Blue Thing, Undertow, Knight Moves -: The Queen and the Soldier 5,5/10
Eh
Don’t hate it.
4.0 Came to like this album more on repeat listens. Only criticism is Suzanne is a bit pretentious in her lyrics, feels like she is trying too hard, but it was her debut album. I appreciate her trying. Straight Lines and Marlene on the Wall had the best hooks. I liked Small Blue Thing and Some Journey.
This was a nice chill album to start my day with. 4
A decent album but it didn’t really connect with me.
Yeah. Not really my thing.
A very middle of the road but nice singer songwriter album. Songs that are nice on a first listen but I doubt id ever properly enjoy again
I love it when they put talented women artists on the list; it brings some needed diversity. It's still an average singer-songwriter album, though, even if I'm quite fond of her voice.
Folk & pop acoustic singer/songwriter vibes with decent singing. There’s also some soft synths, laid back electronic guitars, pianos, violin among others. Great to get lost in the hypnotizing guitars, soundscapes and lyrics. The chords and arrangements can be catchy. I’m not a fan of the spoken word type singing. While enjoyable, the music as a whole doesn’t totally pop for me.
Not really for me
I know there's a Suzanne Vega song I was a real fan of when I was a kid. It wasn't on this record, though. The songwriting and music are alright. I can hear why some people enjoy it and champion her. Almost everything on the record is better than mid (although the bass slaps and pops on the last song do grate on my nerves), and there are some high points that deserve more praise from listeners who've spent more than one time through with it. The album cover is a problem. There's something so hopeless about the art direction that I feel bad for Vega — while her music isn't my thing, she didn't deserve this typographic treatment. Not the worst design crime to pass through this list, but a watered-down expression of 80s graphic design tropes paired with poor choices that may have actually hurt her commercially in the days when people flipped through albums in the stacks.
The flat delivery and storytelling are still a winning combination, but while its solid listening, it never soars
I blame the era for the blocky choppy way of putting words together, and this is a singer songwriter effort so it's an album of the stuff. I had a hunch the lyrics might be the redeeming factor, but after a careful combing, ugh. I just find it cheesy and excessive. Most redeeming factor is her voice, which isn't bad, but isn't great. We're not sticking around for the melodies or exquisite vocal skill. 2.2/5
This is a pleasant listen. Marlene on the Wall is a very good song. Neighborhood Girls is solid. The rest ranges from pretty good to fine to meh
6/10 Favourite: The Queen and the Soldier Least Favourite: Straight Lines
This was pretty good. The thing that irked me (most apparent on track #1) was the “talking” of the lyrics. Also on the last track.
Dreamy!
I’d never actually heard a full Suzanne Vega album, I liked what I’d heard but this had been on my list for a while. And man was it good. The production is lush and isn’t awful in that 80s way, her voice is gorgeous and the lyrics are excellent. I genuinely loved all of this record
Not really my type of music but I still recognize the talent.
Singer songwriter can be really hit or miss for me. This was a miss.
its aight
I liked her lyrics and the vibes on this rainy day!
3.7. Pleasantly surprised. She has another album that I like better, but enjoyed this one this morning.
3.5
Bright and delicate music. I’m not a fan of some of the production on a lot of tracks, however. That Seinfeld-esque slap bass; it kind of ruins everything it pops up in, and it features A LOT. ⭐️⭐️
Gotta say, didn't care much for it at the start, but it won me over by the end.
Fav was undertow?
The guitar work is fine but the vocals are entirely unremarkable.
I simply love this album! I was working in a record store as a teenager during a time I was wildly into rock and metal. I was given this on a cassette as a promo. While it was obviously not my typical sort of a thing, I popped it in and thought it was just great. No big guitars, straightforward simple music, and a charming soft voice. I've listened to it hundreds of times over the years and I vey much like much of her work since. Great songwriting with great imagery. Her voice is nice without any particular unusual tones or affectations. There's a bunch of fun little instrumentation throughout; while mostly just acoustic guitar there are nice keyboards and event some horns in there. Great punctuation and flair. I've caught myself humming "Marlene On The Wall" more than a couple of times in my life. "The Queen And The Soldier" is a sad story, well told. Honestly, I don't think there's a bad song on this album. I can understand why someone might not like it because it's not energetic, or dance-y, or rocking. But as a mellow album to chill with, it's great. It's a 4.5 album for me, but it's getting a 5 here because I really hope more people will give it a shot.
3,5
I've know about Suzanne Vega for 40 but this is my first time listening to this album. Really solid and enjoyable. Listened through 4 times and liked it more every time. Dig it.
I don't think a re-listen would change my opinion; better examples of women folk singers from that era, though it's likely a matter of taste.
Very pretty. An easy listen.
Cracking byrjaði fínt, gítarspilið næs og soundið. Svo byrjar Freeze tag og eitthvað deyr inni í mér. Þetta er kjánahrollur í lagaformi. Já ég gaf þessu tvo sénsa og mér fannst þetta eiginlega bara pirrandi. Sammála hipsterunum hérna inni sem segja þetta taylor swift áttunnar.
Mjög ljúf og góð plata hjá Suzanne, frábært söngvaskáld. Mjög góð vinnutónlist. A hliðin þó sterkari en B hliðin.
The whole album had a similar tone, a bit too sweet for me, and I’m just not the audience for it. Maybe the lyrics are good, but I didn’t feel like digging into them.
Got a lot of folk vibes from this one. The lyrics are probably a big focus for reviews, but honestly, I did not find them THAT special. Got also a feeling of storytelling and that that is the way she works her songs, but it did not fit my vibe and taste. Not bad, as a "music album", but also not memorable and did not leave wanting to hear more. I knew some of her classic as most well known songs, none from this album. Just kinda bland and dry, to my ears.
A dream! Still touring aged 66! Folky and perfect for sunny walk in the park. Had never heard of her
Nice album that still holds ups (gasp! 40 years later?!) Pre "Luca" and las heavy. Enjoyed.
Not bad
Nothing really stands out but at least it sounds pleasant most of the time. If I listened the album in a quieter environment I’d appreciate it more. The speaking in the first song was a bit strange, but imagine if it was a Japanese anime song, would it bring in more zen vibes and would I feel more relaxed? Vocal wise not good either.. she is just slightly off pitch but this makes me feel very uneasy. Overall I do think the album has some potential but it was not completed in its best shape.
listened to it on Friday, and don't really recall what this was. i do recall it being underwhelming...
I hate the speak singing in the first and last songs. Other than that, the album sort of grew on me as I continued listening to it. It still isn’t anything very special though, and the speak singing drops it a star for me.
Really wasn't a fan of the spoken-word intro to this album, but it slowly grew on me as the album went on. Really missed an opportunity to enjoy this one in some gloomy weather this past weekend, I think it would have added to the experience. But I'll be happy to give this a three and maybe get some more of her work down the road.
This was a very pretty album. Not quite beautiful, but still enjoyable. Nothing really stood out to me, but I was flowing along nicely with it all afternoon. I was even thinking about giving it a 4 until a Fleetwood Mac song auto played right as the album was done, and I was reminded just how much better it was.
New to me, loved it, simple and beautiful
Loved the story telling of the album, took a couple of listens to get into & not let it float by in the background
This album feels about 10 years ahead of its time. Really well done
Gostei do estilo musical da cantora mais não curti muito o álbum, entretanto o álbum dela LIVE IN NEW YORK 1985 e muito bom!
Some solid songs (small blue thing and the queen and the soldier) but not super interesting in general. Nice voice and good song writing but just not my thing.
4/5
Can tell where Tom’s Diner came from. Just fine. Couldn’t think of when I would want to listen to this.
4/10
Definitely has a unique character, even if it feels like there’s something missing that’s can’t quite pinpoint. Poetic lyrics and nice guitars. Favorites: Small Blue Thing, Undertow, The Queen And The Soldier, Knight Moves 3.5
Decent, chill folk album. Overall, it's okay, nothing exceptionally interesting. Neighborhood Girls had more energy than the rest of the album, and I wouldn't have minded if the rest of the album had a bit more of that energy.
Quite boring, I didn’t like it
This is one of the most boring albums I've ever listened to
I knew Marlene On The Wall but hadn't heard this one before. Her lyrics are powerful, particularly on tracks like Small Blue Thing which was stunning. Knocking off a star for the album cover's weird font choices though.
Quiet and minimal.. too minimal. There’s a weight hanging over everything. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions: - Cracking - Small Blue Thing
Sleepy sad girl music but in a way, aren’t we all sleep sad girls??
Putting the iffy 80s production to one side, this was really quite enjoyable. Its subtlety invites and rewards repeated listening. You can also hear where subsequent female artists maybe took some of their inspiration from.
A tricky one as it is of a style that I find is not very immediate and therefore it didn’t make much of an impression on me after one listen. I think it is one from the list that I will try and listen to again as I think I might enjoy it more.
No frills which was probably a large departure from everything else going on at that time, so in a way it was probably quite a brave thing to do. That said, there wasn’t enough to keep my interest for the duration, where a bit more subtle percussion or layering might have helped. With the sparse instrumentation, I didn’t find her voice strong enough to carry the rest of the music.
Pretty unmemorable jazzy folk rock, a la Joni Mitchell but not as captivating. The poetic lyrics are an occasional draw. Didn’t dislike, but didn’t catch my interest and I won’t think about it again.
Suzanne Vega was an album that did what it set out to do rather well. It is another one of those more relaxing folk albums kinda like stuff by Cat Stevens or Joni Mitchell and i always do enjoy them as they have some pretty relaxing vibes. This album was no exception to that rule as it shared a lot of the strengths it has with albums like those. The songs here are relaxing and have some pretty good stories within them. It is not perfect though as some of the songs can become quite samey to each other and i was not a fan of some of the vocals in Cracking but those were some small gripes i had with it. I still enjoyed this album a decent bit. Best Song: Neighborhood Girls Worst Song: Cracking
Przyjemne ale nie w moim stylu
A lovely album. The songwriting is very strong, and really my only complaint is Suzanne Vega’s voice isn’t very strong. This list has definitely helped me realize how much I love folk music. 4/5
meh
I like the mood and the production on this one, but it could've done with some more variety. It's quite easy to mistake the intros of several of these songs for one another, and with, like, many Stevie Nicks tunes, too. Just a moody, arpeggiated acoustic guitar part every time. I only really know Suzanne Vega from the Tom's Diner remix (that absolutely slaps), but I'm really intrigued by her. Something of an 80s Joni Mitchell, maybe. The sound she's got going on this record seems like the blueprint for, like, a dozen melancholy female acoustic pop songs that would come like a decade later. Maybe like "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin or "Stay" by Lisa Loeb. "What I Am" by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians was only a few years later, but certainly sounds influenced by Suzanne. Pretty cool.
Not particularly memorable.
Didnt sparkle for me
Das Debütalbum ist ein leises, aber eindringliches Statement aus der New Yorker Folk-Szene der 1980er. Mit Songs wie Marlene on the Wall und The Queen and the Soldier zeigt sie ihre poetische Stärke und ihre Fähigkeit, komplexe Emotionen in minimalistische Arrangements zu kleiden. Die Produktion ist zurückhaltend, was ihre klare und schöne Stimme und ihre introspektiven Texte in den Vordergrund stellt.
Suzanne Vega - Suzanne Vega Pretty. Fucking. Boring.
Suzanne Vega by Suzanne Vega. Suzanne Vega.
Wow, this sounds unique even today.
3 Stars (8/15)
I have Solitude Standing in my cassette collection. I must have taped it off a friend’s album at some point. I have no idea which friend or why I chose to record it. I’ve not listened to it for nearly 40 years. But I do remember liking it a lot. I’d never heard Suzanne Vegas eponymous debut album. But listening to it now I realise my decision making was good back then.
Cathartic
This album is what autumn feels like.
Just okay, didn’t grab me.
This was OK. I like her voice.
Bizarre that in a youth mostly spent listening to Maiden and Metallica, this album made such an impression on me. I still keep coming back to it.
I'd forgotten how much I loved this album. It was a four but "The Queen and the Soldier" pushes it to a five!
This is really hard. Clearly a great song writer, a really unique style and voice that is recognisable BUT when listening to the album it just drifted into the background of what I was doing. I feel like this is an album that greatly suffers from the setup of this, an album like this isn't going to work in a single day of two listens whilst working. I expect if you come back to me in twelve months time this will have grown on me greatly.
meh
da da da, dad dad dada..."Toms Dinner" -> https://tinyurl.com/4zvxhfbz! -> und original a capella: youtube.com/watch?v=mto47BMT3yA c
Gives me Swift vibes
Never heard it before today. It’s ok. Only know her for her supper famous song that came out a few years later.
It was kinda boring.
Not my fave overall, but great chill background vibes. Would give another listen.
Nothing grabbed me on this one. Seemed like a little bit of production help could have made a couple of these tracks a bit more accessible.
Reminder, this is the 1001 albums we must hear before we die, right? Vega was a blip on the 80's radar with two memorable songs, neither of which are included here. She wasn't cutting edge, didn't set the world on fire, had an average voice. Another head scratcher for me. It honestly sounds like a singer songwriter who faithfully believes in her songs singing her ass off at a coffee shop in front of amazed friends who thinks she's The Shit. I would have left my girlfriend and her 2 friends there while I boogied down to the bar on the corner where they have a jukebox filled with good songs. It was utterly boring, I was suffering, I felt nothing. Maybe I don't get the poetry or can't connect with whatever theme she was pitching but I didn't enjoy any of it. Two stars but that's a generous stretch.
I had never heard of Suzanne Vega before, but her debut album released in 1985 and she sounds a lot like the solo women artists in the nineties. So many albums that helped spur new genres or directions are not that good--I reference in particular the many not-good proto-punk albums that are on this list. Vega doesn't fall into that category! Her folk rock music sounds great, which allows her be a contemporary of the nineties musicians. Vega's biggest strength is her lyrics. Singer-songwriter types always have to be strong lyricists, and debut albums must be impactful, especially for women. I found a lot of playful aspects in her lyrics, and her lyrics went in unexpected directions to boot.
This album is SO 90s female singer-songwriter coded (or as I lovingly and incessantly call it, "Lilith Fair music"). It's actually quite jarring how this song is harkening a big movement in music about 5 years ahead of time. Suzanne Vega was no doubt a trailblazer among artists in this particular space. Anyway, that said, it should come as no surprise that I enjoyed this. Not only does it fit all the aforementioned Lilith Fair-isms that I love, but it's poetic and a bit whimsical and mysterious, as well. When this type of music hits me in a certain mood, it's a damn vibe. Today I was in that mood.
I liked this quite a bit.
Спокойный, интересный альбом, есть и довольно задорные композиции, есть с налётом грусти. 6,5 из 10.
Back in the day she was OK, but sounds like a whiny kid now. Hard to listen to
I liked a few songs very vibey and 80s kinda enya I liked but some sounded too similar to each other (reminded me that toms diner exists)
mezzo spaccato. Alcune canzoni belle da riascoltare ma altre delle lagne
yeah she got a nice voice but that's all I like about the album
Enjoyable, but didnt connect with me in any meaningful way.
I didn't buy this until after I'd bought Solitude Standing but I have owned a copy for a long time. I'd forgotten just how good it is.
Who?
Feels lost to time. Not a skippable song on the entire album
Beautiful album. Modern folk. Catchy music and lyrics.
It's a nice album. It has very little range, though, and the choruses are not my preferred style. For something I'd classify as "noodle-y" in the style of Joni Mitchell I wanted the songs to be more memorable.
Nice enough
Better than most of its genre. It’s worth a listen.
9/10 Favorites: Marlene On The Wall The Queen And The Soldier
- hat mir sehr gut gefallen, derbe entspannt, moody und irgendwie mal wieder etwas Besonderes 4/5
The Queen and the Soldier on its own would make this a phenomenal album. (Of course, we're deep into "exactly my tastes" territory.) I feel like reviews of this album, especially retrospective ones, probably include phrases like "one of the most important new voices of" and "a richness of sound that" and whatever. Doesn't matter, it's just a very, very good album.
This is #day369 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this isn't the kind of music you'd expect to come out of the mid'80s. I was hoping for at least a touch of new wave, but... Perhaps this sort of arrangement, aside from "Neighborhood Girls," which is very much '80s pop rock and the only standout piece on this record, was a conscious attempt. Anyway. Kudos for "Last Train from Mariupol" on her last album, though. Otherwise, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day370.
If Dolores O'Riordan and Stevie Nicks made an album together but made it bad it would sound like this
Some clever storytelling but her voice and musical arrangements didn't do much for me. I liked Marlene on the Wall and Small Blue Thing but don't think I'd ever actively revisit this for a future listen.
Pleasantly enjoyable. She has such a nice voice.
Too soft, just not in the mood for this right now.
I've previously listened to Suzanne Vega's 99.9F of my own volition and enjoyed it quite a lot. This, not so much. It was OK, but the whole thing washed over me barely making an impression. The overly long songs with belaboured allegorical meanings did nothing for me, not that I could be bothered to pay attention to the lyrics given the dull instrumentation.
I really liked their entire vibe, very chill album. I almost saved all songs
just the type of indie folk singer-songwriter vibe that i love. Tracks to Track: The Queen And The Solider, Small Blue Thing
Did you know that Suzanne Vega's done more than just "Tom's Diner"? I mean, if I can be blunt and honest: I really didn't. As far as I knew, she did that one song, and it happened to be used as part of the creation of the MP3, and Weird Al and Fall Out Boy both used her "doot doo" hook in different ways, and... Y'know, that's it. That's her entire legacy in my eyes. Before the random had this album pop up, I couldn't even tell you what genre of music she did. I suppose I had my guesses based on how her voice sounded, and "folk singer-songwriter" type **was** my biggest guess, but for all I knew, she coulda been a polka artist normally. So, yeah, she's a singer-songwriter type. As I've expressed numerous times before, I don't usually have much luck with these guys n' gals. The lyrics are typically too dense for me to really engage with, and generally speaking I'm more of a "melody first" girlie anyway. Plus, with an AuDHD brain, it's sometimes kind of hard for me to even pay attention to them in the first place. I really did try here, though — honestly. I had the lyrics up, I was following along, trying to understand them in real time... And I got nothing. For all I know, Suzanne's a lyrical miracle wordsmith, but for the life of me, I just couldn't parse most of the lyrics. Like, there was something about freeze tag and a guy playing Bogart? I have no idea. As with every other singer-songwriter album I've gotten, then, it all comes down to the music backing her to leave an impression on me. And this is usually another area where I struggle with these albums, because usually there's not much going on musically. There's something there, happening, sure, but never too much that it distracts from the lyrics, and that's always my problem. When you don't care about the lyrics, just hearing a single guitar strumming the same chords over and over can get **incredibly** tiresome. Luckily, though, however, this isn't 60's singer-songwriter folk like my group's normally gotten. Heck, it's not even the 70's stuff. No, this is **80's** singer-songwriter folk — 1985, at that! So you end up having more 80's-style production going on in the background, and, yeah, yeah, this is what saves the album for me. It's nothing mindblowing, but I do actually really enjoy the soundscape that's going on here. It's a lot brighter than I would've expected, and the synths that pop up sometimes are, oh, such a delight. Even with no idea what the lyrics are actually saying, I'm happy to just **listen** to this thing, y'know? Plus, there is actually one song where I got the lyrics, and as a result I really liked it: "The Queen And The Soldier". I suppose because it's the only one on the album that's a straight-forward story instead of the "singer-songwriter" poetic whatever that makes up the rest of the album. If I know anything about myself, I do appreciate a good story, and this is a dang good one. A real bummer, too, but, hey at least I was able to connect with it enough to understand it. That's more than I can say about "Marlene On The Wall" or "Freeze Tag", or any other song on this album. I suppose with that, then it bumps up this album from an "I enjoy it sonically but not much else" 3.5 round-down to an "I enjoy it sonically and it has a really good song" 4. If nothing else, hey, it let me know that there was more to Suzanne Vega than just the one song. I don't know if this album convinced me to check out the rest of her discography beyond this, but at this one album stands, it's a good enough listen. Maybe you'll get more out of it, or have gotten more out of it, than I did. As for me, I'll be happy with the two.
I have only a passing a knowledge of Suzanne's work (mostly from the Tom's Diner remix and Luka), but after giving this a listen, maybe I should give the rest of her discography a shot. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 5. Historically, there’s been a pretty good track record with singing-songwriting women on the list for my ears, and Suzanne Vega is thankfully no exception to that. The only track I knew from her before listening to this album was “Tom’s Diner”, but I’m not sure that really prepared me for this album like that. This is a bit of a lyrically-driven album (although the instrumentation & vocals are arguably strong enough on their own), but I think at its very core, a lot of the themes here are still rather straightforward, just expressed with a bit of poetic flourish to try and create more vivid & richer imagery. It’s most apparent to me on the tracks that take a more medieval tone, like “The Queen & The Soldier”, which is one of my top 2 tracks on the entire thing. At the very base level, that track is nothing more than a sad woman pushing a man out of her life who means well, but the imagery & verbiage of the track elevates it higher, swirling to the more bombastic climax of the soldier being killed on her order, while she still sits alone, anguished & depressed with a crown on her head, and his death solving nothing. The other of my top 2 tracks is “Marlene on the Wall”, which is an acoustically-driven banger about the struggle of full commitment to love. It feels like an early 90s track in the best way, and it’s arguably the best showcase of Suzanne Vega’s narrative vocal style. She still carries a good sense of power in her vocals, but it’s underlined with a sense of clarity & observancy that adds both urgency & earnestness to the track. It’s present throughout the album, but “Marlene on the Wall” specifically blends it with more of the catchy 80s vocal hook style that’s usually not as apparent on this album. Even though those are my top 2, there’s so many well-written tracks on this album that could easily get their own paragraphs. I love the double metaphors at play for “Freeze Tag”, blending childhood innocence with only being able to “act” out a relationship. I *really* love the sense of helplessness portrayed on “Small Blue Thing”, and the tone in her voice fully creates the sense of empathy present in that track. “Some Journey” is a super strong track that tackles something I’ve occasionally wondered: how different could some friendships be if you met outside of the confines of your hometown, without the baggage or history emerging from it? If I have any minor knocks, it’s that “Cracking” is a bit of a bad tonesetter (without a second listen), “Knight Moves” is a little ambiguous & “Neighborhood Girls” isn’t as compelling of a closer as some of the other tracks might’ve been, but those are nitpicky at best. Any album that can get me this engaged in its storytelling while having great instrumentation has to be doing something right; this is a REALLY strong album for my tastes. It’s worth a 5 to me, and I’m kicking myself for not looking any further into Suzanne Vega past “Tom’s Diner”. Definitely worth being on the list, and a pretty recommended one at that.
Lovely stuff tbf, Cohen-esque lyrics I mean really what is not to like? Fave song: Marlene On The Wall Rating: 3.9/4.0
4.5
It’s not bad, I don’t hate it (in fact some bits I quite like), I just think it could be doing more.
We thought this album was very enjoyable. We enjoyed it.
gracie abrams meets fiona apple cute bot not my thing very much girl and her guitar
I knew of, and quite liked, Tom's Dinner but this really surprised me with how great it was. She's got a new fan in me
2.5 rounded down it’s cute and all, but that’s kinda all it has going for it highlights: freeze tag, small blue thing, undertow (mar 28 2026)
Good
Sorry, I just can't. If Boredom had a child with Vanilla, it would sound like this album.
Thoughts before listening: Folky, singer-songwriter music from the 80s I believe. I know that Suzanne Vega was a big deal, but I don't know her music. I think her popular song is "Tom's Diner" but that doesn't seem to be on here. Review: So I guess this is Suzanne's debut album and the hits mostly came on her second one. There was one hit (which I did not recognize prior to listening) called "Marlene on the Wall", and thats probably the best song here. For the most part these are slow, moody songs with primarily just acoustic guitar and Suzanne's voice. There's certainly nothing offensive here, but I'm not really loving it either. I'd say this is a 3-star album.
Beautiful voice great music. Marlena on the wall is a brilliant tune x
Interesting, I’ve only ever heard her later stuff.
Did not enjoy at all
Nu får jag väl Pop på mig för att jag inte ger högsta betyg.
No real highlight here. But a nice album.
really beautiful song writing throughout, it just didn’t truly stick out to me personally
better than i thought it was going to be but still kinda boring, probably wouldn’t listen to it again
This does not sound like 1984 which I find very cool. Her songs are very much telling a story and I’m here to listen
Cute voice. Good soft music. The last song was unnecessary
enjoyable
Very impressed with this. Absolutely deserved a listen.
Slow, too slow. Too wordy. No thanks.
Has an intimate charm. A little dull. The songs don’t stick with me.
It's ok. Not necessarily my style. 2.25 star
More 80s pop that blends right into the crowd. Nothing here really stands out. The songs are fine on a surface level, but they all feel like variations of the same idea, and that idea has already been done better elsewhere. Her voice is pleasant enough, but the melodies and arrangements never push beyond safe or familiar. It's the kind of album that plays in a coffee shop and no one bothers to ask what it is. Not terrible, just incredibly generic.
This was a delight. The warmth of her vocal and the orchestration really stood out. The song writing and story telling were brilliant. 4 spins through the day tells its own story.
Heard most of it before
Letras muy profundas, una manera muy extraña de cantar. El conjunto de voces e instrumental, y en concreto la instrumental, evoca algo místico. 4/10
I was 12 when Suzanne Vega's album was released in 1985, and at the time, its depth was beyond my understanding. I first noticed her music with the song "Luka" during high school. Now, over 40 years later, I have a newfound appreciation for songwriters and their craft. Vega's work reflects a strong folk and poetic influence characteristic of that era. Artists like Natalie Merchant paved the way for emotional and meaningful lyrical analogies, which Vega masterfully captures in her writing. I also recognize the influences from the latter part of the decade, reminiscent of Tracy Chapman, Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians, and Shawn Colvin, to name a few. I’ve reached a level of musical maturity where I can respect a piece of work even if it doesn’t align with my personal taste. This album falls into that category. I particularly enjoy the rhythm of "Straight Lines" and the guitar work in "Knight Moves."
Ten songs in I thought I had accidentally put the first track on repeat. Lame but on par with solo female artist’s music from the 80s and 90s.
Not much there to be honest, would not listen to it again!
Really enjoyed this, lyrics were good, instrumentation was minimalist but in a good way.
all of the songs are good. She sounds great. Sounds like what the cool kids listened to in New York in the 80s while they talked about poetry. Made me realize I’m not cool, and I’ll never be cool
Woof. These are the types of songs that you write as a young twenty-something, thinking they’re immensely profound, and then years later you look back on them with a degree of shame so pronounced that you want to hurl yourself over a bridge in embarrassment. There’s a reason I’ve never heard of Suzanne Vega, I guess.
Her later albums are better. Some of the tunes on this give a poetry that has a guitar more than a song. I think it was recorded on the cheap as well. You can hear and feel the talent on it. She tells a story really well. I would start with her second album if you want to listen to her. This has glimmers of what is to come with her as an artist but like a lot of artist with their first album is kind of rough.
I've heard of this artist not sure if I have listened to much of her. A little too mellow for me. Yeah this is alright. It's alright. I respect what she's doing. Her music. Just not for me.
Coffeeshop singer-songwriter was a widely derided genre that started in the mid-eighties but came to prominence in the nineties. Every song was an elegant variation of the same subject; the constant negotiation of heterosexual love, set to Yamaha synths and an acoustic guitar. Its association with the corporatisation of America’s nascent coffee scene did not help its image. A reputation as the Gen X vaseline. High Fidelity but with the smell of vinyl replaced with espresso. It’s doesn’t deserve this reputation. In a somehow more homogenised, forever elsewhere in a screen world, the notion that a relationship lived on your skill with your tongue rather than your writing is now alien. A transitory genre (the coffee shop is an inherently transitory place) is preferable to one of the permanence of surveillance.
Some good songs but I'm not a fan of the production on this album, it sounds too polished and sterile. I think it's a solid enough debut but not an album I'd consider to be a classic hearing it for the first time in 2025. Maybe if I had heard it 40 years ago I'd feel differently about it.
Undemanding american pap. And her singing really falls off in places.
1985. This was pretty enjoyable smooth sounding album with good baselines. Vega has a nice voice.
Did not do much for me
Enjoyed but not one I’d revisit
kelpo kamaa
Really good album.
Yeah, I don’t know…. - not something I would put on again anytime soon
Light and fresh, like a cool spring breeze on a sunny day in May. Love Suzanne Vega's voice even if the music is not really my thing
It grew on me once I got used to the 80s production
Unique voice. Powerful lyrics.
Pretty bland singer-songwriter from the 80s. I can see how influential she is to other bands and artists that I enjoy. But for me this was a yawner.
“Hipster” is the word that comes to mind - with all the positive and negative connotations of that. It’s poetry, it’s arty, it’s smug, it’s pretentious, it’s silly. I don’t quite know where I think this fits in this spectrum. Probably because of the association with “Tom’s Diner,” I imagine Suzanne sitting in a cafe, wearing a beret, smoking a cigarette and watching the people coming and going. Which is kind of appealing. But she also reminds me of Phoebe from Friends singing “Smelly Cat”. So I don’t know if it’s good or not. I quite like it but also it’s annoying.
Really liked this…
Really drab singer-songwriter folk with some 80's synth thrown in. Didn't care for her voice or the simplistic lyrics. Standout is "Marlene On the Wall". "Small Blue Thing" is also pleasant.
Just fine and dandy, really. No huge emotional resonance here.
It was pretty, the lyrics poetic and the instrumentals rather subdued. No hits I knew on here but pleasantly surprised.
76/100. A solid singer-songwriter album that still feels fresh today. Vega’s voice carries a quiet strength, and the songwriting is sharp and evocative.
fine
Can't tell when one song is over and the next starts
Glad that’s over.
It was fine - she has a great voice and great lyrics but they all sounded a bit the same to me.
I wasn’t expecting much from the “Tom’s Diner” girl’s debut album. Cozy and light, I enjoyed it very much and not as dated sounding as I was worried. A pleasant surprise.
There isn’t much holding this together. She is clearly talented, but I thought it was a flop.
Forgettable 2/5
I like Suzanne Vega, but I did not really dig this one. She is a great singer songwriter and it shows on this one. Unfortunately I think there are other albums that could have been chosen here.
Very singer-songwriter-y, makes sense. Some songs would fit nicely on a Buffy playlist. Occasionally a little too indie a la regina spektor, but often a very chill and emotional smooth indie rock. Guitar is great on here.
I actually really enjoyed this, went back to relisten. Can’t put my finger on why and probably wouldn’t want another album of hers on here but I liked it
Snuck a 3. Decent voice, enjoyed how stripped back it was but really quite boring
thought i’d like this more since i really mess with “tom’s diner”. alas, that song is not on this album, and i did not mess with those that WERE on the album. very ethereal, very folk-y. not my style though. 2/5.
Nice album, beautiful vocals, enjoyed it. Highlights: Neighbourhood Girls, Marlene On The Wall, Small Blue Thing
This one was written for the girlies in their 20s There is not a single song on this album I didn’t enjoy Fav Songs: Small Blue Thing, The Queen and The Soldier, Neighbourhood Girls
Finally something I can connect to. Love her poetic flowing style of storytelling. Gonna tell my youngest about her. I think she’ll dig it
I wish she sang more,
first song is a skip with the nursery rhyme singing. not a fan of layering in the 80s synths either. songs are boring
Beetje gek en niet helemaal mijn ding maar het heeft wel waf
Pretty good, great voice and beautiful lyrics. Just not that exciting/special
Un álbum de folk-rock con unas letras excelentes, románticas y, sobre todo, muy íntimas. Los temas suelen girar alrededor de alguna turbulencia romántica narrada a base de metáforas. La voz de Suzanne Vega es suave y muy bonita, aunque nada fuera de lo común y a veces hasta me chirría un poco. Por desgracia, la producción tan típica de los ochenta no le viene nada bien a este álbum. Creo que a unas letras tan personales y sensibles les vendrían mejor unos acompañamientos más austeros. Sin embargo, tenemos una producción clásica del pop de su época, con guitarras con mucho eco, sintetizadores y un bajo prominente. Me hubiera gustado darle mejor nota, porque las letras me han gustado mucho.
Nice in its genre. But what is there to say ?
It's a kind of soft folk music... nothing exciting for me and always wondering where is Luka ? not yet arrived, on the next album :-(
Folk with a modern twist, the kind of melodies you could easily imagine turned into electric versions, and they would probably sound better. Suzanne Vega has often had that subtle alt-rock vibe, a bit edgier than she first lets on. Still, this first album is super easy listening, the kind of stuff you would hear in cozy coffee shops before Norah Jones or Dido came along. Pleasant, sure, but not exactly what you would call innovative. Why is it here?
Not a big Suzanne Vega fan, but this was nice background music
Totalmente innecesario
Marlene on the wall had some folksy Taylor Swift going on, but with the production and grand hooks. The rest was boring, simple and annoying.
The majority of this album was boring for me to listen to, but I genuinely enjoyed the song "Straight Lines". It had a good melody, and was fun to listen to. The rest of the songs on this album didn't catch my interest.
Not as bad as some would have you believe (JOHN)
Woof
"Wow! This Suzanne Vega album slaps!" said nobody ever, except, apparently, the author of this list. So boring, made me want to not have ears for a day. I can't put into words how annoyed this one made me. That's a big no from me, dog
Found that album from Suzanne Vega rather boring without any lows or highs.
Not my cup of tea
An interesting and eclectic album with some very verbose story telling. Suzanne Vega is a brilliant song writer and poet, but this is definitely an album you need to be in a specific mood for, I feel.
This was a new listen for me, an album and artist I had not heard before. I was really torn on it. Vega is a gifted singer, but I mostly found myself either annoyed by her inflections (like a knock-off Patti Smith) or just bored as her voice did not feel unique to my ear. Her lyrics did not stick with me, and her melodies felt too similar from song to song. The second track, "Freeze Tag" is especially emblematic of her trying to be Hejira-era Joni Mitchell with Pat Metheny but without the interesting jazz motifs and impeccable melodic singing. I think much could have been saved with different production. Much of the overly-compressed guitar, chorus pedal, and synth felt very dated and cheesy. Mixed with the serious and often-pretentious lyrics, there were times the album felt like parody. I don't think this album aged well, and may have been more enjoyable 40 years ago. I would compare some of the feel to a modern band like Men I Trust, which have very different lo-fi production underneath, and I could see much of the same ideas working in that way (though I concede that Men I Trust may also sound cheesy in 40 years). I am trying to appreciate this album in the context of its contemporaries, but I just feel very apathetic to it-- didn't love or hate it, and I will probably forget it. After the album finished, "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac auto-played and I was reminded of how interesting the instrumental side can be to back Stevie Nicks' unique and provocative voice. Of course, it may be unfair to compare an album to a masterpiece like Rumours, but that's what this generator is all about, right?
I was pleasantly surprised by this. Kind of a stepping stone between Joni and Alanis. Not as good as either but decent and with some strong songwriting and guitar chops. I found myself wanting to listen to it more and more closely, but the deeper I dug, the less rewarding I found it on repeat listens. Still good but not great, in my eyes.
There are a handful of great folk/singer songwriter songs with some outdated, less great songs. 5/10
Listened Before? N A pretty decent debut folk album. Good storytelling. Not bad but I'm not sure why it's a must hear. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Marlene On The Wall
It was ok. There were some quite nice songs sprinkled in there but I wasn’t too crazy about most of it. Just some chill acoustic singer songwriter stuff.
Fkt mi se svidjelo iskr i svidjelo mi se što se može pratit nit iz pjesme u pjesmu
Este disco nunca lo he escuchado. Conozco sus dos temas más famosos y ese disco sí que lo tuve grabado en cassette. Entretenido y poco más, destaca "Marlene on the wall".
i liked that song about the boy upstairs but this was shite
Illustrates a vivid New York hipster coffee shop C. 1987
afslappað kassagítarspopp. gerir ekkert fyrir mig en er fínt eins langt og það nær.
Taylor Swift but make it shitty(er) Best Song: Marlene on the Wall Rating: 3/10 Stars: 2/5
Not bad but not very interesting
A nice change up with how stripped back it is. Plus it's nice to have a sub 40 minute album. Feel refreshed after listening. Got more out of the first half than back half Rating: 3.3
An exceptionally dull album. Some nice instrumentals here and there, but generally this could be made by anyone. 2/5
Odd phrasing, ultimately decent
Easy listening, some songs ok
This is a hard one to rate. I Have a great appreciation for Susan! Vega. She's clearly very talented songwriter. But it's just not a style that I like. I would never choose to put this album on and listen to it. But for people who like the style, it's probably, four or five star quality.
I can appreciate a classic singer-songwriter album. Nothing crazy in terms of arrangements, personal, introspective lyrics, and simple production. Some of this was cool, some of it felt a little too forced or like she was trying too hard to be interesting. I'd be lying if I said that after a while, some of the songs started to blur. They're all guitar and vocals-driven, with the occasional synth. So that didn't help. I'll be honest, a lot of this felt like you'd have heard this in the lobby of a dentist's office in the 80's or 90's, or in an elevator. Or as hold music on the phone with your insurance company. It's all a little too safe, a little too straightforward to be super interesting. And that's a shame because it's pretty clear that she's talented and has potential. I just didn't see it realized here. Two stars. Standout Track: Neighborhood Girls
Boring. Coffee house background. Nothing really notable to my ears.
She's got a voice of an angel
It was an alright album no tracks really stood out to me though
Was dull and monotone...
Alright singer singer writer (I guess that's the genre). I didn't dislike the sound, but after it was over, didn't remember a thing about it
Hejira lite, pretty good but I'm not bowled over by it on my first 2 listens.
Clearly influential. Beautiful guitar. Interesting cadence and pitch of voice. Probably couldn’t listen to it on repeat.
Singing was a little too weird to me, some interesting rhythms going on though. Won't be listening again.
This surprised me. I really appreciate her lyrics and they are very pretty songs
Very average sounding, like well produced coffee shop music. I gues her later albums are more interesting.
Some of the songs were a touch odd, but overall it was okay to me.
Cracking 3 Freeze Tag 3.1 Marlene on the Wall 3.3 Small Blue Thing 3 Straight Lines 3.4 Undertow 3.5 Some Journey 3.4 The Queen and the Soldier 3.3 Knight Moves 3.3 Neighborhood Girls 3.4 Score: 3.27
2.8 2x nice voice
nice pop album, smooth music and a great voice
Last of the true soho folk singers
Enjoyed this a lot! Opens with fun ethereal witchy vibes
She’s got some great lyrics and her voice is easy to listen to. The Queen and the Soldier is the highlight track for me. I’m not a big singer-songwriter fan, but this one was okay.
I’ve never really listened to Susanne Vega and after this listen, I can say I was not missing much. The album is okay but there is nothing here that seems worth hearing again. The music is good but underwhelming. The lyrics are okay but the singing is not my preference. This is something I hear on an elevator or in a grocery store as background music. Favorite song is “Some Journey”.
A good album. Not something I'm going to run out and buy, but I'd have no problem listening to it again. The only major negative is the vocal delivery on the opening track. An odd choice, but that's ok I guess.
My only previous exposure to Suzanne Vega was 'Luka' and 'Tom's Diner', which were on heavy rotation on MTV and VH1 in the late 80s. So why are we not listening to her second album, and this leaves me asking myself once again why was this album included on this list. Other than those two songs, the rest of Suzanne Vega's career has never been on my radar, and this album did not impress me very much.
Suzanne Vega basically tells stories in her songs, almost like spoken word but with more lively background music too. She does sing a little as well and it is pleasant although this just wasn’t fully my jam. It did get a little monotonous after a while.
Ikkje høyrt før, får lyst til å høyre meir.
Pretty solid folk. Reminds me a bit of Bob Dylan with the storytelling, especially in "The Queen and the Soldier". The fiddle breakdown in "Some Journey" is fantastic! Favorite songs: Marlene on the Wall, The Queen and the Soldier, Some Journey, Small Blue Thing Least favorite songs: Cracking 4/5
Tässä kuuluu ajan naisartistien runollis-tarinallinen tyylisuunta, jota myöhemmin edustaa Alanis Morrisette ja vaikka Sinead O’Connor, joka lopulta sekosi muutenkin.
I am familiar with Suzanne Vega from the MTV days and her video for "Luka", but this is the first time I've heard this record. It is a good folk-rock record, I like her voice, and the lyricism is excellent. It is worth another listen.
Feels very bland. I like the lyrics but the sound is comparable to plain greek yogurt.
solid album, but nothing special. 2,5 stars actually
I really really enjoyed this. Listened to it back to back. Daughter seemed to like it too.
Hypnotic
It's a very calm/soothing sound, with acoustic guitar/bass, and with vocals that are half-singing half-talking. It's like the quintessential coffee shop record. The popular song is "Marlene on the Wall", and yeah it's probably the best one. The album is a solid 3 and I could see it rise to a 4 with more listens.
Susanne Vega had three inescapable hits in the late 80s, but none are on this album. Which makes it's inclusion perplexing, especially if it's her only album. Still this had a number of tracks that I liked enough I'd call this album a strong 3.
Like Kate Bush, this really should be squarely up my alley. I can hear shades of Ani DiFranco, S, maybe even Cat Power. But it's just dated enough, with lyrics that veer between opaque and simplistic, that it just never connected - despite multiple listens.
Throughout listening, I kept thinking how enjoyable this album likely is upon a re-listen. But in the moment, I just could not wait for it to be over. Maybe I'll come back to it, meh.
I don't typically fill my cup with this particular type of tea, but the overall strength of storytelling here won me over by the last sip.
A little slow Introspective and moody
Breathy vocals, lightweight songs but some good guitar
It’s an odd singing voice but not an unpleasant one. I think I appreciated the unique delivery here. I also got drawn into the lyrics a lot more than I usually do. For something I was completely unfamiliar with before today, this really grabbed my attention.
Gosh, I just loved this. I listened to this a few times today and grew increasingly attached to the songs and storytelling. She's got a lovely voice, too, really engaging.
zzzz
Decent
Very interesting. Simple and stripped back. I really enjoyed it, some bits were beautiful. I relistened immediately with lyrics and will definitely listen again.
Well I like Suzanne Vega. Unfortunately none of the songs I like are on this album. She’s got a nice voice quality and tone tho!
I found this album to be surprisingly enthralling. But it may have just been that I got this album on 4/20. That being said, the music seems pretty niche. Makes it all that more amazing what a big hit "Luka" was.
Very wordy and doesn’t always spot the landing. When it does Marlene, the Queen it’s A1 but when it doesn’t.. or so. 3.5 Stars.
Not bad, but nothing that really wowed me.
Didn't really do much for me. It was mostly fine, but felt pretty surface level. The songs were just okay and the instrumentation basic. Not for me.
puhuttii tos rotista ja kyseltii kuka on nähny isoimmain rotan meist.. sanottii et valkoses talos on yks aika iso heh... susannalle vähän tippejä ja trikkejä sitten tulevaisuutta varten: totanoin jos tekee tämmösen albumin joka niinkun lähes vaan sitä kitaraa ja jotain laulua niin tarvitsee vähän jotain tälläsiä 1. kiinnostava lauluääni eikä tommonen jota naapurin likkakin voisi vinkua 2. voisit sanoa jotain jotain vähän, vähän jotain muuta kun poppi lyriikka paskaa vähän sanot jotain joskus ja 3. voisi ne melodiatkin kun sitä kitarra rämpskyttää niin voisit etsiä jotain sellasia kombionaatio nuotteja jollain vaihtelevalla tempolla tai jotain sellaista että tota ei olisi kaikki niin vitun tylsää paskaa tässä koko saatanana albumissa mitä vittua??? 80 luvulla tehty tämmönen ja jossain saatanan 1001301 best albums listalla ei kuulu top miljoonaan mun mielestä neighborhood girls
This is fine. It’s not unlistenable but it’s also very middle of the road.
I see what this is but it’s not really for me
The talking in the first song .... this is much cringier than I anticipated. As far as 90s NY coffee house goes... is this better or worse than Smelly Cat?
Not my bag style wise but pretty good
I knew of Suzanne by her hits like Tom's Diner and Luka but had never delved deeper. I enjoyed this more than I expected. The album has a great atmosphere. This is a high 4 for me, but not quite a 5.
I like her voice but a bit of a boring album!
51/1001 Vega is probably best known to most Brits through DNA's take on Tom's Diner from 1990, despite her mid-80s singles making a decent impact on the UK charts in their own right. There's not really much to dislike about Suzanne's simple acoustic folk-pop arrangements and poetic lyrics which often focus on very down-to-earth struggles and emotions. If you are into that kind of thing, then you can't go far wrong - this is not really my bag, but I can't help but warm to her sound and Marlene On The Wall in particular comes tinged with a heavy dose of 80s chart nostalgia.
Ну че то уныленько и однообразно
Ich gebe es zu: Susanne Vega = Tom's Diner (+Remix von DNA) und Luka - mehr fiel mir zu dem Namen nicht ein. Zu Tode genudelt in den End-80ern. Ok, jetzt kenne ich ihr erstes Album. Ich hatte schlimmstes Sing-Songwriter-Geklampfe befürchtet aber die sympathische Stimme und ins Ohr gehende Akkordfolgen haben mich besänftigt :)
This was a very pleasant record to listen to. Nothing great by way of melodies or voice but it felt a little ahead of its time and feels like a current release. That has to account for something. No stand out tracks so I will give it a three but this could have been a 3.5. I will also note I find her voice very soothing and relaxing. Kind of music I can mediate or zone out to.
Lisa Loeb read from this playbook. This is a bit boring.
Sounds like if an indie pop artist like Dora Jar went acoustic and lost all enthusiasm. The lyrics are well written, but there aren’t any climaxes or even much variation in the energy of the songs so I was a bit underwhelmed.
Vega definitely has strong female Leonard Cohen vibes. A great singer/songerwriter. Deserves more listens. 7.0/10